Dignite' on the last leg of voyage to Gaza: Small French ship carrying message that cannot be silenced

[ATHENS] The Steering Committee of Freedom Flotilla II: Stay Human
can confirm, that after anchoring in international waters overnight, the
French-flagged ship Dignite' / Karama has commenced the last leg of its
voyage to Gaza. We wish all on board well and remind Israel to refrain
from interfering with our vessel as it makes its way through the illegal
and immoral sea blockade it has imposed on the Gaza Strip.

It is in large part because the Dignite' commenced its voyage from a
French port and the French government refused to interfere with this
civilian human rights initiative that the ship continues its mission.
The Dignite' and its passengers -- from France, Canada, Greece, Sweden,
and Tunisa -- represent a flotilla that was delayed by acts of sabotage
and by an egregious act of complicity by the Greek government with
Israel's human rights violations and policy towards Gaza that the
International Committee of the Red Cross determined to be "collective
punishment." But they also represent the steadfastness and
determination of the flotilla movement to sail until the blockade is
broken. The idea that Freedom Flotilla II could be stopped
misunderstands the nature of this non-violent movement and its strength
of purpose.

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Despite most of the ships being unable to leave Greek ports, the
flotilla nonetheless managed to highlight the vicious nature of Israel's policy towards Gaza. Israeli leaders showed their willingness to use
intimidation, lies, economic blackmail, threats of violence, and
sabotage to stop boats that Israeli military officials admitted would
not be carrying weapons. This clearly demonstrates that Israel's
blockade of Gaza is not based on "security", but is meant to punish the
Palestinian people, denying their freedom and keeping them cut off from
the rest of the world.

Israel believes itself untouchable and continues its affront to
humanity as a result of the international community's failure to take tangible measures to defend Palestinian human rights. Indeed, as we have seen recently in Greece, some significant players -- including the EU and the US -- are even directly complicit in Israel's crimes. This is why international civil society has mobilized to take direct action.

We cannot predict how Israel will behave as the Dignite' approaches
Gaza but we can say that -- just as Israeli threats and violence have
failed in the past to deter non-violent global solidarity with the
people of Palestine -- those on board this small French ship intend to
reach their destination. The Dignite' carries a message of solidarity and
human empathy from the people of the world to the people of Gaza, and
all of Palestine, that Israel's violence can never silence.

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While the Dignite' continues to sail to Gaza, proving that the will of
global civil society cannot be intimidated, the remaining ships in
Freedom Flotilla II: Stay Human are regrouping to fulfill our
obligations to the besieged people of Gaza and to the hundreds of
thousands of ordinary people around the world who funded and organized
this act of solidarity.

As long as the illegal blockade of Gaza remains in place, ships will
sail to confront it; as long as Israel continues its occupation,
colonization, and violent repression of Palestinians and our governments
are silent about it, the global solidarity movement will mobilize to
challenge it directly.

History shows that Israel is running out of options; we are only getting stronger.